


Yours for the Weekend

by fairygal



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: David Bowie - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Jareth - Freeform, Labyrinth - Freeform, Modern Day Fic, domestic fic, jareth and sarah, jareth meets the inlaws, ohh nooo theres only one bed!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-05-20 09:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19373923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairygal/pseuds/fairygal
Summary: Jareth and Sarah must pretend that they are engaged during a dinner with Sarah's parents, but things turn upside down as a snowstorm hits, leaving the family stuck in the house for a weekend together.





	1. You Have My Word

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first story to ao3. I've always wanted to write a domestic take on Jareth and Sarah, and this fic will allow me to do that as I continue to upload chapters. Hope you all enjoy - let me know if I should continue in the comments :)

All around her, there were stars.

At least, that's what she thought they were.

Sarah Williams stood in what she believed to be a desolate landscape - though it could have just as easily been a large, ceiling-less room. All she knew for certain, were how brilliant the stars were. They burned with an intensity that made her shield her eyes, holding a hand above her forehead and squinting into the vast emptiness that lay around her. Her emerald gown swept the cold, cobblestone ground as she stepped forward hesitantly, looking for something - anything - to allow her a glimpse into where exactly she was.

Sarah found it increasingly difficult to breathe, as her tolerance to the anxiety of being lost was wearing thin. She brought a hand to her corset-bound stomach and breathed in deeply before closing her eyes. She listened.

"Hello?" her voice sounded weak, even as it echoed all around her.

Sarah's eyes remained shut, drawing all of her attention to focus on any kind of response from the darkness that consumed the night around her. She didn't know whether this was from fear, or purely her imagination - but at that moment she could feel a hot, short breath on the back of her neck. She shivered.

"Who's there?" She called out again, her voice stronger this time. 

The hot breath traveled to the bare tops of her shoulders. Sarah swallowed, before sighing softly. The cool night air contrasted with the steaming whisper that ghosted over her skin. The sensation brought her both tranquility and fear.

_ I'm here. _

She could not see him, but deep down she knew. Deep down, she could feel his touch.

Long fingertips brushed the length of her arms before drawing to her waist and resting there. She inhaled sharply, gently throwing her head back at the contact. It was so unlike her to behave this way, but in that moment, she couldn't bring herself to care. Whatever was happening felt right. 

Cool, wet lips met the corner of her neck, traveling up to the bottom of her ear and exhaling once more. Sarah could feel her heart pounding in her eardrums, and the blood rushing through her veins with a fiery determination.

"Yes," Sarah's chest rose and fell frantically as she felt kisses pressed onto the milky flesh of her throat, "please don't –"

Don't leave, don't stop, don't let go – Sarah didn't quite know what she was going to say, or how to say it, but he knew. He always knew.

_ Call to me, _ she felt him whisper into her ear, and  _ I shall be there. _

And with that, she awoke.

Sarah bolted upright from her living room sofa, with a sharp intake of breath. She blinked fiercely, regaining the breath she had lost moments prior. The vast darkness and burning stars had been replaced with the comforting creamy beige of her own apartment walls, and the worn-down fabric that lined her sofa and chairs. The still burning fireplace crackled before her, lighting up the face of her brother Toby who still slept soundly on her lap. Sarah smiled down at him, gently stroking a piece of his curly mop of hair out of his eye. Now twelve, Toby would often stay at Sarah's apartment on nights where his parents worked late. The two had a way of passing the time through stories and novels that Toby found joy in choosing for himself. For the past few trips to Sarah's, he had chosen The Labyrinth.

Sarah carefully eyed the book that laid on her coffee table before them, admiring the near-perfect condition of the crimson cover with gold lettering. After the years of her youth spent obsessing over the story and nearly believing it to be true - Sarah had locked the novel away in a chest in her childhood home. She had almost forgotten about it, until it laid in Toby's hands one evening that he joined her for dinner. After it's first read in several years, Toby, like his sister, had grown increasingly attached to it, and almost always asked her to read it each night before he slept.

Since then, memories of Sarah's childhood delusions infested her dreams, most often including the tall, brooding figure she couldn’t help but be drawn to. In these dreams, images of faeries, goblins, castles, swamps, and ballgowns painted a picture of beauty and magic that stayed with her throughout the day - even long after she would wake from them. It was the man’s visits, however, that made her question her own sanity. A man she felt she had feared so deeply in her youth, now coming to taunt her with slow, burning touches and laughing lips.

Sarah smiled at the novel, before lightly squeezing Toby's arm.

It was nothing but a dream.

"Hey," she whispered, gently nudging the sleeping boy in her lap, "wake up, Tobs."

He stirred for a moment, before opening one eye. 

"What time is it?"

Sarah laughed softly at the grumble of words from her brother, his voice still cloudy with exhaustion.

"It's late. Your mom will be here any minute."

She felt Toby sigh deeply into her lap before an unpleasant grunt.

"Don't make me go home," he pleaded, sitting up from Sarah's lap and stretching out his arms above his head.

Sarah felt herself smile, admiring the sleepy grin that spread across her brother's face. No matter how old he got, their bond would only grow from where they were at that moment. Like his sister, Toby had magic dancing through his bones, and a mind that raced with the impossible. 

Toby rubbed the top of his freckled nose and sighed, before pushing himself up off the couch and gathering his book bag he had set on the floor. After clicking on his phone screen, he grumbled, nodding towards Sarah.

"Mom's here. I'll see you later," he said, wrapping his small arms around Sarah's waist.

She patted his backpack with a gentle hand and kissed the top of his head. 

"Love you, Tobs. Don't get into too much trouble, okay?"

With a playful grin, Toby pulled away and disappeared into the kitchen.

Sarah glanced towards the coffee table as he exited the room, noticing Toby's math homework still sitting on the corner of it beside  _ The Labyrinth _ . She quickly snatched the homework, mentally reminding herself to make sure she put the novel back on her bookshelf so she wouldn't lose it, and chased Toby into the kitchen.

"Missing something?" She teased, shaking the paper in front of him.

Toby laughed as he grabbed it from her hands, before stuffing it in his backpack.

"Oh, right."

" _ Oh, right, _ " Sarah mocked, scrunching her nose.

"See you later," Toby replied, opening the apartment door.

"Go to bed when you get home, okay?" Sarah smiled as she watched him leave, before shouting out, "and be nice to your mother!"

It was humorous, she thought, how much Toby resembled herself as a child. Though he had a much stronger relationship with Irene Williams than Sarah ever did, it was entertaining to watch her brother take part in the same activities that Sarah had - playing in the woods, reciting books and stories in the park far past his curfew, and staying up late under the covers with one of their father's novels. Sarah could only imagine how well he would fit in with the goblins in the Labyrinth.

As Toby left her apartment, Sarah exhaled deeply, leaning her body against the back of the kitchen door with a soft thud. She brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed her temple, desperate to clear the fogginess that danced in her head after her dream just moments ago. A presence still clung to her as she peered around her deserted kitchen.

Weakly, Sarah pulled herself away from the doorway and into her living room, before taking a seat on the sofa once more. The distant crackle of the fire tempted her to sleep beside it, but ultimately, she knew her bones would regret it in the morning if she didn't rest in her own bed. It was only then that Sarah glanced to the coffee table before her, noticing the absence of  _ The Labyrinth _ . 

Eyebrows furrowing, Sarah leaned forward, looking underneath the coffee table and searching beneath the couch she sat on.

She had seen it just before returning Toby’s homework to him, so where had it gone?

Curiously, Sarah got down on her knees as she made her way around the area the book had been in, ducking her head and searching underneath surrounding furniture.

Perhaps she was more tired than she believed herself to be. Perhaps Toby had taken it as he left, and she had imagined seeing its presence there on the table. As she stared at the floor beneath her, her eyes met a pair of black leather shoes standing before her. Her breathing hitched as she followed the shoes up, seeing a pair of long legs, a broad torso, and finally, the face that had haunted her dreams since she was a girl.

“Looking for something?” the man teased, his gloved fingers tapping the spine of the book he held in his grip. 

Sarah glanced towards the cover, and sure enough, a golden font that spelled  _ The Labyrinth _ glistened back at her. She stared into the man’s face, looking the same as it did when she was fifteen, and could not bring herself to speak. Her eyes danced over his features, still sharp and pointed in the cheekbones, yet passionate and playful in the eyes. His blond hair still stood up in all different ways, and his dark clothing still clung to his slim frame. Sarah could not find one thing that had changed about him, despite the eleven years that had passed the last time she’d seen him.

The King offered her a graceful hand, his eyebrow raising curiously as he looked down on her. Silently, Sarah accepted it, placing her hand in his cool leather grasp before standing before him. Though she had grown taller in her later teenage years, he still towered over her. His eyes twinkled dangerously.

As soon as she stood, the King seemed to vanish into thin air. Sarah’s eyes grew owlish as her head turned, her heart racing rapidly in her chest. She tugged her blue sweater tighter around her body as her breathing quickened, not trusting her own judgment. A moment later, Sarah could hear the echo of laughter erupt from behind her. She turned on her heels, finding the King sitting in her recliner and flipping through the pages of the novel he held. His eyes flickered up, smiling as he met Sarah’s concerned gaze.

“Really, Sarah,” he clicked his tongue, tilting his head as he did so. “Still reading this book, after all this time?”

Sarah’s hands began to shake as she drew further and further into herself.

“And here I thought you forgot about my Labyrinth,” he said.

Sarah's heart pounded against her ribcage as she backed into the nearest wall.

"I don't understand," she whispered.

Jareth, pleased by her speech, stood from the chair and made his way over to her.

“You do remember me, Sarah,” he said, his voice growing softer, “don’t you?”

"I know who you are," Sarah said sharply, her eyes growing fierce with intensity to match his own, "you're the Goblin King."

Jareth smiled contently, raising an eyebrow.

"I applaud you for the clarification, Sarah Williams."

She stared at him with a mix of both wonder and hatred.

“You aren’t real,” she muttered. “You’re just in my head. This is just another dream, like the ones I’ve been having for the last two months.

The King’s eyes narrowed, clearly burned by her words.

"Oh, Sarah," Jareth said, shaking his head. "You have changed, haven't you? How.... _ disappointing _ ."

Sarah's frame stiffened. 

"I grew up. I stopped believing in Goblin men and fairies a long time ago, Jareth, and I'd like to keep it that way."

After she spoke, she brought a gentle hand to her forehead and rubbed her temple. Jareth watched as she did so, his eyes softening with interest as she spoke.

"I just need to wake up. This can't be real."

The King smiled, amused.

"I am as real as you are. As real as this --"

With a gloved hand, Jareth raised the bottom of Sarah's chin up to meet his eyes. Her stomach swelled at the sight of their beauty.

"Tell me the Sarah Williams I knew is beneath all of this denial," he breathed.

Sarah's breathing slowed as she watched him, swimming through the deep, murky waters of his pupils. In them, she saw herself - barely sixteen and running through a place that could only be described as magic - the Labyrinth. She felt it's breeze brush her face and the cobblestone beneath her feet as she traveled, running her hands along lush, green bushes and trees. She heard the chorus of goblin men grumbling and the light voices of the friends she had made along the way. In his eyes, she saw her world pass around her. A tear slipped down her cheek as she blinked furiously, finally out of her dream and back into her reality.

"It was all real," she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Yes," The King breathed.

Suddenly, as if the trance had been broken, Sarah pushed his gloved hand away and stepped back, her gaze turning cold.

"You shouldn't have come here."

"You believe I came here on my own free will?" The King's laugh was haunting, still, as it echoed against her barren walls.

"Then  _ why _ ?" Sarah despised how weak she sounded against his melodic voice."Why come here? If not to make me question my sanity?"

The King smiled wickedly, sending shivers across Sarah's bare skin. His presence darkened the room around him. 

"I come when summoned, Precious," he stepped closer to her, leaning in close as he admired her new found mature beauty, "it is not I who chooses when to appear."

"I did no such thing," Sarah scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. Insecurity riddled through her as he continued to eye her intently.

"Didn't you?" He smiled, and Sarah could see his pointed teeth sticking out from beneath his lips. "Have you not read to your little brother stories of my Labyrinth? Stories with my namesake?"

She closed her eyes, releasing a tight sigh.

"Oh."

"Yes," he replied. " _ Oh _ is right. Though, I don't mind listening in on your little tales."

"I just never thought what happened –"

"Was real?" Jareth interrupted. "Yes, well, it seems that in the Underground you were not so easily  _ forgotten _ ."

Sarah looked up at him, her gaze softening. Noticing this, he grew stiff.

"Even in sleep you forget my name," his eyes darkened as he looked past her.

Sarah held her breath, suddenly realizing the strange presence in her dreams wasn't as strange as she had thought. She opened her mouth to speak, before a loud knock sounded through her apartment.

The two of them froze.

"Company? This late in the evening?" Jareth's solemn eyes turned playful in a moments notice, as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

A soft click followed by the sound of her front door opening informed Sarah that whoever was at her door was now in her apartment.

"Sarah, dear? It's me."

This voice, Sarah recognized as her stepmother. Silently, she pointed an accusing finger at the King. 

"You need to leave.  _ Now _ ." Her words were barely a whisper, but her heart hammered against her chest.

"Oh, no, I surely would like to see how this turns out." Jareth took a seat on a nearby recliner chair, grinning like a young school boy.

"I think Toby may have left his sweater here," Irene Williams began, her voice growing closer.

Sarah glared at the King with scolding eyes.

_ Please _ , they seemed to beg.

His eyes answered, cold and taunting.

_ Not a chance. _

"Jareth," Sarah warned desperately, "I mean it. You can't stay here. If she sees you then–"

A sudden presence entered the room, and the two of them cast their attention to the doorway into the living room.

"Oh!" Irene paused in the doorframe, hugging her trench coat her body. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had, um, company this late."

Sarah bit her tongue as Jareth stood from the recliner. Though this was her stepmother, she never failed to find a way - any way - to humiliate her at every waking moment. Let alone in front of the King of the Underground.

"He was just leaving," she replied, approaching her step mother. 

"Sorry for the intrusion, Sarah, but Toby forgot his coat." Irene smiled at her daughter, then back at the King with a curious eye.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your....late night stranger?

With a slight gesture, Irene and Sarah both looked to Jareth. He stood tall, dressed in light grey trousers and a flowing white blouse, opened in a 'v' to the middle of his chest. Feathery blonde hair laid atop his head, Wild as ever. As always, he wore that same, mischievous smirk.

The way he was dressed surely didn't help the situation, but rather made Sarah look like she was playing a rather naughty version of dress up with a man she hardly knew.

"Oh," Sarah paused, racking her brain for an excuse as to why this devilish, goblin king with tight pants would be here, in her living room at eleven o'clock in the evening. Her options, she realized, were very slim. She looked to Jareth once more, despising how amused he looked. 

With a tilted head, he smiled at her, curious. 

"This...this is my...uh...my...boyfriend,"

Silence fell across the room.

As the words she spoke settled, Sarah mentally slapped herself for being so spontaneous. Her  _ boyfriend _ ? Her humiliation lingered in the air before Irene spoke.

"Your boyfriend?" She was surprised, which brought even more embarrassment to Sarah. "Why, Sarah! I had no idea."

Finally, she looked to Jareth, who stared at her with a pleasant disbelief. His fierce eyes twinkled with delight as he watched Sarah, intently observing her.

"Well," Sarah sighed, balling her fists at her side, "actually –"

"Precious, no need to be embarrassed." Jareth approached her, eyeing her like that of a lion to a lamb. His pointed teeth shone brightly behind his wicked smile. "We're betrothed."

Sarah coughed, surprised by his words. 

"Betrothed?" Irene's eyes grew owlish. "Sarah! Is there a reason you forgot to inform your father and I that you were  _ engaged _ ?" 

Sarah stared at the King, her eyes cutting daggers.

"It came as a surprise, I suppose," Sarah replied, reluctantly accepting her step mothers congratulatory embrace.

Irene then stood before Jareth, admiring him with a wide grin before she offered her hand to him. He smiled, bringing it to his lips before kissing her knuckles gently. She shivered with surprise.

"Yes, very spontaneous. Hardly had time to process it - forgive us for the secrecy,” he cooed, his chest rumbling with a deep chuckle.

Irene waved him off, an awkward laugh escaping her lips. "Oh, please, I'm just thrilled she found someone in the first place! And so...well dressed, too!”

Jareth grinned once more, before snaking an arm around Sarah's waist. She turned to stone at his touch, never letting her arms leave her side.

“Forgive my attire, darling. I was unaware we would be meeting this evening."

“Oh, it’s no problem at all,” Irene smilled. “Are you...an actor?”

“It’s how we met,” Sarah said, throwing herself into the conversation in attempts to stop it as soon as possible.

“How lovely. Please, Sarah, allow me to invite the two of you over for dinner tomorrow evening,” Irene replied, her blue eyes shining. “Oh, Robert would just love that."

Sarah was quick to reply. "Oh, no, I actually –"

"We wouldn't miss it," Jareth interrupted. Sarah felt his grip on her waist tighten gently. “Would we, Precious?”

"Wonderful," Irene said, before picking Toby's coat off the edge of the couch. "It’s a date! Be at our house around seven?"

Before Sarah could speak, Jareth replied slyly. "Indeed."

“Well, then, you two enjoy a cozy night in. Pardon me for the intrusion!”

With a quick nod from Irene, Sarah and Jareth watched as she left the room and out the kitchen door with a small slam.

Sarah turned to Jareth, her gaze ice cold.

"What was  _ that _ ?" she burst, pulling out of his grasp.

Jareth raised an eyebrow to accompany his smirk. "I had no idea you felt that way about you and I, Sarah. Acquaintances, friends -  _ maybe _ , but lovers?”

"I panicked," she replied, throwing her hands in the air. "Why else would a strange man she's never met before be in my apartment at eleven o'clock?"

"I've already told you, Precious, I was summoned."

"My step mother knows nothing about the Underground or it's ruler - and it's going to stay that way." 

"You  _ wound _ me," he said, holding a hand to his heart. 

“I just,” Sarah sighed, sitting on the couch beside them. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now. How am I going to explain to my family that I faked an engagement?”

"No need to get flustered, Sarah," his voice was cool as summer rain, washing over her like a gentle shower "All you had to do was ask."

She paused, eyeing him for a moment with a furrowed brow. "You're not suggesting–"

"Aren't I?" Jareth smiled, his sharp teeth pointed.

"No," she said quickly, "no, no. Absolutely not."

"And why not?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Because – because it's just – no. It would never work." She took a seat on the footstool, chewing on the tips of her fingernails frantically. "You're a King. You would never even pass off as an average man. Not that I would even consider it in the first place."

"You insult me, Sarah. I have observed this earth for centuries. Surely I know how to behave as one of you – mindless creatures."

“You are not  _ pretending _ to be my fiance,” Sarah shook her head. "Haven't you a Kingdom to rule, anyway? People to watch over?" 

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Jareth's chest rumbled with a low chuckle. "They're Goblins, Sarah. I don't suppose they'll be needing my assistance. Besides - I am a man of my word."

“I didn’t ask for your wo-”

" _ Hush _ , Sarah," his words sunk into her skin, making it crawl with a mix of desire and uncertainty, "allow me to do this for you. Not as your enemy - but as your companion."

Sarah breathed deeply, staring into the eyes of the King, knowing she would deeply regret the words she was about to say.

“One dinner,” she said slowly.

“One dinner,” he repeated.

The King offered his hand, his eyes flashing dangerously as she took it.

“You have my word, Precious.”


	2. Home at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah prepares for her journey back home accompanied by Jareth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, chapter two is done! I hope you all enjoy it. Please let me know in the comments what you think, or submit any of your ideas / requests for upcoming chapters :)

Sarah’s eye peeked open, blinking to clear the fogginess in her vision as she rolled from her stomach to her side, pulling her comforter tight to her body. Her legs bunched together, curling into a fetal position as she sighed deeply, enjoying her last moments of peace before dealing with the idea of today.

As she tried to recall the dreams she had had the night prior, she sat up in bed, stretching her limbs lazily and twisting her spine to release the tension there.

How odd her dreams had been…

The Goblin King had returned to her world and, for reasons she couldn’t quite remember, he had pretended to be her fiance.

No more tea before bed, she thought to herself.

Another sigh broke through her lips as she finally opened both eyes and pushed the hair from her face, adjusting to the sunlight that streamed in through the window beside her bed. Her eyes fell to the floor, before traveling to the chair that sat in the corner of her bedroom, holding a tall figure in its seat.

With a yell of surprise. Sarah pulled her blankets closer to her as her legs scrambled under the covers.

“Sleep well?” the man - who with a blink, she now recognized to be Jareth - asked.

He sat calmly in her chair - elegant, one might say - with one leg balanced on the knee of the other. He had replaced the white billowing blouse from the night prior with a midnight black cloak that draped around his pointed shoulders and curled up around the pale of his throat. His hands balanced in his lap, each fingertip touching its opposite. He waited, amused, as Sarah blinked furiously to make sure sure she wasn’t hallucinating.

“Oh, God,” Sarah groaned, putting her head in her hands. “Please tell me I’m still dreaming.”

The King smiled lightly.

“I’m afraid not. Though, this scenario may feel like a dream -”

“What scenario?” Sarah asked, resting her covers back over her lap.

“Being my future queen, of course.”

Sarah flopped over in bed, burying her head under the sheets.

“Stop saying that,” she mumbled. “I can’t believe I agreed to this. It’s too early anyway. Is there a reason you’re in my bedroom at,” she paused, glancing at her alarm clock, “ten in the mor- wait, ten in the morning?”

Jareth stretched his arm out, adjusting the black frill on the collar of his sleeve that had escaped through the opening of his cloak.

“It would appear that way, wouldn’t it?” He asked dully, tilting his head. “I thought briefly of waking you, but decided against it. After all, I assume our engagement plans were keeping you up last night?”

“No,” she sighed, sitting back up in bed. “Close your eyes.”

“May I ask why?”

“Because,” she said, her eyes falling to her legs beneath the sheets, “because I’m, uh, indecent.”

The King smiled wickedly, but obeyed Sarah’s request as his eyes fluttered closed.

“Tsk, tsk,” he grinned.

Sarah slipped out from beneath her covers, making sure Jareth’s eyes stayed closed, and stumbled to her dresser, where she examined herself in the mirror. She wore only a large, loose fitting t-shirt that hung to the middle of her thighs, and a pair of mismatched socks. Had she known Jareth would be there...

“I can’t believe I slept this late,” she whispered, though Jareth had assumed she was speaking to herself. “I thought I had dreamt up everything from last night. A strange goblin man sitting in my bedroom certainly was a bit of a wake up call, though, so thanks for that.”

Jareth’s eyes shot open, growing wide at this as he leaned forward in the chair.

“Goblin?” He asked, bewildered that she could ever say such a thing. His lips twitched with disgust. “Just because I rule over the pesky little creatures does not mean I’m one of their kind.”

“Don’t look!” Sarah yelled in surprise, tugging her t-shirt down to hide her thighs.

“Right, sorry,” The King glanced at her, eyes flashing with interest at her appearance, and looked elsewhere in the room.

After pulling on a pair of sweatpants that were laying on her floor, Sarah began shuffling through her dresser drawers in search of clothing to wear. Overwhelmed, she stopped to put her head in her hands.

“We are never going to pull this off,” she muttered.

“Oh, surely you aren’t nervous for this evening,” The King teased, standing from his seat as he circled her room, eyeing her different treasures and knick-knacks. His gloved fingers danced across dusty shelves of old, well-read novels and statutes of fairies and goblin men. He smiled absentmindedly.

“Nervous?” she began, half laughing. Her eyes found her reflection in the mirror once more as she watched herself speak, noticing the bags beneath her eyes. “About my wildly critical parents meeting my fake, Goblin King fiancé? Why on earth would I be nervous?”

Sarah picked up her phone that laid charging on her dresser, noticing her father had tried to call her twice an hour before she’d woken up. After pressing on his name, she turned to Jareth.

“I need to call my dad back, so be quiet.”

Jareth, not listening to what she was saying, picked up a snow globe depicting The Wizard of Oz characters arm-in-arm down the yellow brick road. He shook it lightly, amused as he watched the loose glitter rain down on the glass figurines trapped inside.

“Do you mind?” Sarah asked, pulling the snowglobe out of his gloved grasp. She shook her head in annoyance as she placed it back on the shelf, clearly unamused by the chuckle that followed. Her phone rang twice before her father picked up.

“Still collecting toys?” Jareth whispered to her, amused as she held up a finger to him.

“Hey daddy,” she spoke into the phone, “is everything alright? Oh – yeah, I just slept late, that’s all. Yes, I’m excited to see you too. We should be there in a few hours.”

Sarah glanced toward Jareth. Casually, he picked up a novel on the top of Sarah’s dresser and flipped through it. He scanned the pages with a vague interest, noticing it to be yet another fantasy novel. The cover of the novel showed a tall, brooding man with a shining sword beside a maiden in a green dress. Sarah snatched the book from his hands and set it back onto her dresser.

“He’s excited to meet you too,” she said awkwardly. Jareth caught her stare, responding with a sly grin. “Yeah, I know. He sure is…..something. Oh, yeah — okay. That sounds good. Okay. I love you. Yes, we’ll be safe. Okay. Yep – love you. See you soon. Bye.”

She hung up the phone with a sigh, laying her phone back on the dresser.

“I don’t know how I’m going to do this.”

As she spoke, the King had taken interest in a leather bound journal with the word Diary printed on the front. Noticing this, Sarah pulled it from his hands anxiously.

“Jareth, please!”

“If we’re engaged to be married, I should know at least a little about the woman you’ve become. Though, granted,” he paused for a moment, glancing around her bedroom, “I can see now that not much has changed.”

The King brought himself to look at Sarah, raking his eyes over her shielded hourglass form under the bulkiness of her shirt and pants. Her hair hung straight, ending just before her shoulders in a clean bob-cut. One side had been neatly tucked behind one ear, while the other covered a portion of her emerald green eyes, still holding the memory of youth beneath full, groomed eyebrows. Her skin still gleamed with rosiness despite her irritated expression and pursed lips. Even in this state, she was a breath of fresh air in the springtime. She was undeniably beautiful.

“I’m a different girl than I was all those years ago,” Sarah said, turning her attention to her open closet, which she began to search through for something to wear after abandoning her dresser. “I’m not a child anymore.”

“So you say,” he replied coolly.

Sarah glanced at him once more from over her shoulder, catching his gaze through his unruly mane of blond hair. His eyes twinkled, and she felt her chest tighten.

“You know, I’m not exactly sure why I’m trusting you.”

“Does that mean you do trust me, then?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I didn’t really have any other choice. You were the one who took the liberty of announcing our engagement to my step mother. What was I meant to do?”

His eyes darkened as he approached her, meeting her beside the closet with an accusing finger.

“I agreed to assist you with this little fantasy of yours, Sarah, but do not forget who you’re dealing with.”

“Fantasy?” She asked, eyes widening in disbelief. She drew her attention away from her closet, shaking the sweater she now held in annoyance. “This is the farthest thing from my fantasies, Jareth. I have spent years of my childhood trying to grow up and forget any of this ever happened! What makes you think I’d ever want to remember you or your Labyrinth?”

Chests heaving and tension buzzing between them, Sarah watched his mismatched eyes flash dangerously back at her, vibrant and piercing.

“Why did you come here?” she said softly.

As Jareth opened his mouth to speak, Sarah held her hand up to interrupt him.

“I know, I know, you were summoned, but why are you...helping me? I don’t have anything to offer to you. No dreams or...babies for you to take, or whatever it is you do.”

Jareth frowned, suddenly losing his confidence in what he was about to say. He turned to look out the window in frustration, gently pushing his black cloak behind him. Sarah watched as his shoulders rose and fell with each breath he took.

“Do you take me as a selfish man, Sarah?” He asked solemnly, feeling her stare behind him and choosing to ignore it.

She drew a long breath before replying.

“I don’t know what I take you as,” she said slowly. “I didn’t believe you to be real up until last night. It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do for me here, I just can’t figure out where your intentions lie. I didn’t as a young girl, and I don’t now.”

The King sighed, shaking his head with a low, weak chuckle.

“Perhaps that was your greatest trouble in solving my Labyrinth all those years ago.”

Sarah turned back to her closet, selecting a pair of black jeans off a hanger and unfolding them, keeping herself occupied as she thought of how to respond.

“You didn’t leave me much of a choice,” she said after a moment, turning back around only to be met with an empty room.

* * *

After changing into her sweater and jeans, Sarah had spent a few moments in front of her vanity mirror, applying mascara and lipgloss as she contemplated whether or not Jareth would return after she had upset him, and if it would even be worth it going to her parents house alone.

She thought briefly on how the conversation between her step mother and herself might go, seeing as though her only option would be to confess that her fiance was, in fact, not entirely real, and she had made the story up. She determined, after a minute of so, that Irene’s response would go something like, “Faking an engagement? Now really Sarah, don’t you think that’s a bit much? Though, of course, I must admit that it was quite obvious. I’ve never even seen you speak to a man long enough for an engagement to take place! Perhaps if you weren’t such an eccentric girl ...”

Sarah huffed, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked older than usual, as worry lines traced her forehead and between her brows. How would she ever pull this off? The last thing she needed was more criticism from her father’s wife, especially when it came to her love life

Busying herself for the next half an hour was exceedingly difficult, as every few minutes she would find herself scoping out the room she was in, watching and waiting for some type of movement to indicate that Jareth had come back. Never did she think she would be waiting around for the Goblin King to show up in her apartment. The watch on her small wrist told her that if she wanted to get to her parents house on time, she would have to leave within the next ten minutes. Her fingertips drummed on the wooden arm of the chair she sat in anxiously, before finally grabbing the car keys on the table before her and heading for the door.

Her heart pounded violently as she took one final look behind her and turned the doorknob to open it. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she came face to face with Jareth, looking much different than the last time they had spoken.

His once self-standing hair was now pulled into a loose messy bun, which hung low on the back of his head. His renaissance styled garbs had been replaced by a stiff, white button up with a propped collar and slightly open chest, tucked into black trousers with chains hanging from the belt loops, and shining black shoes. The cape that had once rested on his narrow shoulders now hung as a black trench coat on his back. It was his pendant, however, that stayed exactly where it had started - laying on the King’s pale chest and glittering from the kitchen light.

“You have no idea how difficult it is to find clothing here,” he muttered, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. “Not one single person wearing suitable garments in all the time I spent browsing. I suppose this will have to do.”

Sarah blinked in surprise, unable to take in the changes all at once as the King adjusted the collar of his sleeves, fiddling with the emerald cuffs.

“Well?” he asked, clearly eager for Sarah’s reaction. Sarah stared for a moment longer, knowing already how dumbfounded she must have looked.

“Yeah, I mean, yeah. You look –" she paused, clearing her throat gently, "you look human."

Jareth suddenly looked disgusted.

“No need to insult me,” he grumbled.

Sarah laughed, letting her eyes fall to the floor.

“Thank you for coming back,” she said quietly. “I was worried for a moment that–”

“I gave you my word.”

Sarah smiled. “But you didn’t have to keep it.”

There was a beat - a moment of comfortable silence between the two - before he offered her his arm smugly. She hesitated, glancing at his arm with suspicion as he rolled his eyes.

“Come now, Sarah, I don’t bite.”

She scoffed before taking hold of his extended arm.

“Not yet, anyway.”

Sarah turned a deep red as the two left her apartment for the night.

* * *

The drive down to her parents house, which took more or less two and a half hours, was far less painful than Sarah had anticipated...after getting Jareth used to the idea of driving.

Having never been in a vehicle before, it took all of ten minutes to persuade Jareth that no, teleporting would not be the ideal solution, and yes, she was certainly trained properly to operate the car. He sat in the passenger seat, incredibly stiff and clearly uncomfortable to be there, as Sarah informed him on the importance of wearing a seatbelt while she drove. Once he had reluctantly agreed, Sarah had taken her own seat in the car and started the ignition. The vehicle rumbled to life, causing Jareth to grip the edges of the seat until his knuckles were white. It was a moment or two before he calmed down and settled into his seat, curiously watching the streets and large buildings pass by as she drove. He then turned his attention to the numerous buttons and switches in front of him, as he began pressing them absentmindedly.

“Fascinating,” he mumbled as the car’s stereo system turned on full blast.

As he flicked through the stations, country, rap, jazz, and pop music flooded through Sarah’s car with a booming bass. Jareth chuckled, quite overwhelmed with entertainment as Sarah suddenly flicked off the stereo.

“Please,” she sighed, glancing towards him as they reached a red light.

Jareth was unusually quiet for a long while after that. He seemed to enjoy staring out the window of her car, which Sarah hadn’t minded entirely, as a little silence was exactly what she needed. The silence was not tense, but rather comfortable as they grew nearer and nearer to her parents' home. It wasn’t long before he pulled a sphere crystal out of thin air and twirled it between his fingers, making it bend and move at his touch. A million thoughts rang in her head before suddenly being silenced at the sound of Jareth’s voice.

“How was it, then?” He asked.

“How was what?”

Jareth’s lips stretched into a smile.

“My proposal, of course.”

“Proposal?” She asked with surprise, only to understand a second later. “Oh. Oh. Right.”

“You mustn’t play your parents for fools, Sarah. They’re sure to ask questions regarding our courtship sooner or later. It is better to be prepared then not.”

Sarah tapped her fingers on the steering wheel in thought. Jareth was right - if this was going to be believable, they would have to be sure all of their stories and details lined up.

Her eyes glanced to the clock on the dashboard, telling her they had about an hour and a half left before reaching their destination. This gave them plenty of time to plan and discuss - and so they did. In the remaining time left in Sarah’s car, they had agreed on several false occurrences of their whirlwind romance that began when they met during a theatre production. After only two months of steady dating, Jareth had proposed spontaneously under the night sky (this idea had been debated, as Sarah had suggested he propose in the quiet of her apartment one night, to which he replied “How dare you assume me to be so unromantic!” before he settled on a dinner under starlight), and Sarah, much unlike herself, had said yes. They had the main points of their pretend relationship mapped out. The only step left was to convince her family that it was all true.

“The thing about Irene,” Sarah said, feeling Jareth’s eyes looking intensely at her, “is that it's going to take a lot more than stories to convince her this is real. For some reason she thinks I hate being in relationships, but that’s not true. It’s just, it’s hard to find ones that stay.”

“I can be very convincing,” he replied calmly, making his crystal evaporate before resting his hands on his knees. Glancing down, Sarah noticed that he had painted, or perhaps magicked, his nails black. Thick silver rings wrapped around a few of his long fingers.

“And go easy on Toby. He gets attached to people quickly, and he didn’t take my last breakup well.”

At this, Sarah had expected Jareth to make a sarcastic comment or question her on her past love. She was pleasantly surprised that once again, a silence fell across the car. Frothy snowflakes had descended from the white sky as she continued to drive down the quiet highway.

Tentatively, she put the radio back on.

* * *

With the soft serenading of jazz music to help the time move faster, at last Sarah had reached her parents neighborhood.

“I remember this well,” Jareth said as they passed Sarah’s favorite park as a girl. For a moment, he thought back on the young lady in the green dress, reciting her stories and speaking to no one but the trees and wind. He glanced to the woman sitting beside him. The same twinkle found her emerald eyes.

“You’ve been here?” She asked, turning down another street.

“Long ago. It’s beauty was far too great to resist.”

Though Sarah believed him to be referring to the park, his gaze lay elsewhere.

It was barely a moment later that Sarah’s car rolled to a stop in front of her childhood home. Sarah exited first, and Jareth followed.

As Jareth slipped out of the car, he pulled off his sunglasses he had been wearing as the sun had set, gazing up at the Victorian house that Sarah had grown up in. The house he had expected to see, normal as any, and unchanging from the last time he had seen it, was certainly not what lay in front of him. The large, white house had been completely covered in decorations of red and green. Garland lined the fence guarding the perimeter of the house, while twinkling lights of every color hung from the roof and the foundation. Wreaths full of ribbons and bells sat perched on each window, along with a few large inflatable lawn decorations, including a reindeer that waved and a Santa that popped up from a little chimney.

For several moments, Jareth stared.

“I know,” said Sarah casually. “It’s a bit much. My dad has a thing for this time of year.”

Jareth hummed in agreement, a curious furrow forming between his brows.

“Yes,” he said softly.

As Sarah brushed off her coat and started towards the door, a loud slam could be heard coming from the back porch. In a matter of seconds, Toby Williams came leaping down the driveway towards his sister.

“What took you so long?” Toby asked, wrapping his arms around Sarah in a tight hug. “Moms been worrying about you. There’s this big snowstorm comin’ soon.”

Sarah squeezed his shoulder, prickly from the red wool sweater he wore, and looked up cautiously as the sky, which was now coated thick with clouds with falling snowflakes. After a moment, she turned to Jareth, who stared down ominously at Toby. “I almost forgot. Jareth, this is my brother Toby. Toby, this is my, well, this is Jareth,” she smiled at both of them, stepping back to allow their formal greeting to take place.

Toby eyed Jareth curiously, pursing his lips with concentration. As Jareth stared back, he attempted what Sarah assumed to be a smile, though he looked more uncomfortable than anything.

“Hello there, child,” he mused, crossing his arms across his chest.

Toby wrinkled his nose. For just a moment, Sarah wondered if any part of her brother could remember his journey to the Labyrinth. The way he stared deeply at Jareth seemed to indicate this, despite him being so young upon their first meeting.

“I like your necklace,” Toby said softly as he pointed to the pendant hanging from Jareth’s neck.

“Thank you,” The King replied awkwardly.

Toby paused, eyeing it up and down.

“Can I touch it?”

“No.”

As if on queue, Robert Williams made his way down the driveway with his wife at his side.

Her father wore a crisp white shirt and tie. His hair lay combed over on his head, and his cheeks rosy with joy as he smiled at her, walking toward her with open arms. Age had been kind to him, just as it had her step mother. Wearing a loose coral turtleneck and pencil skirt, Irene Williams waved politely as she followed behind her husband.

“Oh, Sarah, so glad you could make it,” her father boomed, clearly overjoyed to see his daughter as he drew her into a tight hug, which Sarah returned just as eagerly. “You’re home at last.”

Irene stood behind Toby, casually fussing with a thread on his sweater as he batted her hands away.

“And you must be Jareth,” Mr. Williams turned to the lanky man beside Sarah and offered his hand. Jareth took it, shaking it firmly with a peculiar grin. “Irene told me so much about you. Please, won’t you both come in?”

“It would be our pleasure,” he replied.

Sarah released a shaky breath as she looked to Jareth, whose eyes flashed excitedly. As her family turned their backs to go inside, Jareth ran his hand down her spine calmingly.

“Relax,” he hummed quietly into her ear, warm breath piercing through the cold evening air.

Out of all the things Sarah could do at that moment, relaxing surely wasn’t one of them.


End file.
